Titanic Thompson – The Man Who Would Bet On Anything

Titanic Thompson is typically considered one of the best gamblers and hustlers at cards, pool, golf, horse shoes and proposition bets of all time. He would make pretzels out of lead and secretly slip them into those at a bar and bet people that he could throw it over a building. He even managed to hustle Al Capone and live to tell the tale. 

Thompson was also the inspiration for Sky Masterson as played by Marlon Brando in ‘Guys And Dolls.’ Anyone who became a hall of fame-er in the above mentioned disciplines from that period, honed their skills by playing and learning from Thompson. He was also part of the poker game where New York crime boss Arnold Rothstein (who rigged the 1919 World Series) lost and was ultimately murdered for welching on what he owed in what then became known as “the crime of the century.” He didn’t murder Rothstein, but he did kill five other men…but they had it coming.  

Thompson would even go as far as moving street mileage signs the night before a trip so that he could bet on how long it would take to get to a certain city the next day with the other person betting with a false impression of the distance. He was even known for leaving the hose on the green the night before a round of golf to create a trough to allow for easier putts for side bets.

Urban legends surrounded Thompson, including that he got his nickname by surviving the sinking of the Titanic by dressing as a woman and sneaking aboard a lifeboat. In reality, he got it at a pool hall where everyone knew that he would “sink” anyone who played him. 

Now, nearly 50 years after his death, I was very excited to be able to demonstrate one of his greatest cons in one of my shows.

Be sure to check out the biography written by Kevin Cook.